


Color and Light

by andyouknowitis



Series: Into The Woods [2]
Category: Big Brother RPF
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:25:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2837876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andyouknowitis/pseuds/andyouknowitis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frankie's a giver and Zach's learning to love it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Color and Light

They pulled apart in the car, eyes glazed, hair awry, chests heaving.  
  
Frankie's brow furrowed. “This is ridiculous. We only saw each other three days ago.”  
  
Zach raised his eyebrows with a grin. “Every day wouldn't be enough. I think we learned that in the BB house babe. I miss you even when you're in the next room, never mind another state.”

“Cute, Zachary, but we've been here ten minutes and your parents totally know we're out here.”  
  
"Yeah, I know. I just need...a minute."  
  
"That's usuall-"  
  
"Cut it out, G.” Zach tapped the steering wheel with his fingers as he watched Frankie fiddle with one of the many small pots in the side of his bag. “Fuck. Why didn't we leave more time for this though? Sure, yeah, of course I'll pick you up and drive right here, no problem. Then I'll drop you at your grandmother's later, it'll be fine. No us time. I don't know what we were thinking."  
  
Frankie grinned and smoothed some lip balm across Zach's now decidedly pouty mouth. “I missed you too, baby. But technically, we got our normal weekend time. This is the middle Chrismukkah thing. Family time.” He turned to re-apply his own lip balm and fix his hair in the passenger mirror. “Let's talk about something else.” He hummed. “So...what did you get Dylan?"  
  
“Nothing.”  
  
“Now, now, Zachary. A boy who won't be good, might just as well be made of wood.”  
  
He smirked. “I'll show you my wood.”  
  
“If you don't behave, how do you ever expect to become a real boy? Now, tell me why you got him that huge stuffed Eeyore?”  
  
“If you knew, why did you ask?”  
  
“Because I wanted to hear you say it.”  
  
“Fine. I got him an Eeyore.”  
  
“And why did you?”  
  
“He knows what it means.”  
  
“So do I.” Frankie nudged his arm with another grin. “You're sweet, Zach.”  
  
“Okay, stop that now.”  
  
“Sure....Tigger.”  
  
“That's it, I'm taking you back to the airport.”  
  
“It's okay, I won't tell anyone.” Frankie stepped out of the car and adjusted his coat collar, as Zach got out the other side. "Except maybe your Mom...and Dad." He smirked."And Peyton."  
  
“Do it and you are dead to me, Grande.”  
  
“Necrophelia? Kinky.”  
  
Zach chased him to the doorstep, catching Frankie's hand as he rang the doorbell, mouthing one word as the door opened. _Later._

  
*

Zach pulled Frankie by the hand into his old room and pressed him up against the door, trapping his wrists either side of his head. “Finally.”  
  
“Don't be like that. And, like, you totally just accosted me on the way back from the bathroom."  
  
“We've been here _four_ and a half hours, I think I'm entitled.”  
  
“Oh, so I was supposed to just say 'Hi! Happy Hanukkah, sorry I can't stop, I just have to go do your son,' to your parents?”  
  
“No, but did you have to get into the reality tv conversation with Mom? She could talk all day, and you were just as bad, and what were you talking about in the kitchen anyway?”  
  
“Yes I did, it's interesting. Be nice, or I'll tell her you said that, and nothing you need to worry about.”  
  
“Frankieeeeeee.”  
  
“Are you gonna keep complaining, Zachary? Or are you going to do something about it?”  
  
“I'll give you _something,_ Franklin.” Zach's mouth burned on his as he pressed him up against the door, not an inch between them. Frankie's breath caught against his mouth in a whisper, even as his arms slid down and he gripped Zach's ass to pull him closer. "Mmmm. We can't...your parents...Peyton.”  
  
Zach pulled back, breathing heavily as he touched their foreheads together. “Fuck.”  
  
“I just said we can't.”  
  
Zach half laughed, half groaned. “Funny.”  
  
Frankie tapped his ass lightly. “I try. What was your excuse for stealing me away from the movie marathon, anyway?”  
  
Zach pulled back with a grin, finally releasing him. “Exchanging gifts.”  
  
“Exchanging something anyway.”  
  
“It's the gift that goes on giving.”  
  
“I know how much you like to receive, Zachary.”

"There is that."

"Even your undoubtedly fine ass is not enough to tempt me into giving you anything of the sort in your parent's house though, Z."  
  
“Ouch, baby. That hurts.”  
  
“I'm sure your ego will recover.”  
  
“It always does.”  
  
“Are we going back down the same road again here?”  
  
“I like taking that road.”  
  
“Sorry it's marked 'No Entry' just now.”  
  
“What if we just-”  
  
“Your parents are in the house. And your brother.”  
  
Zach flopped onto the bed with a sigh, his head bouncing against the pillows. “I know. I know. You're right, where's my head at?"  
  
Frankie looked down at Zach's crotch with a raised eyebrow, as he sat on the other end of the bed facing him.  
  
Zach nudged his calf with his toes. “Okay, rub it in why don't you?”  
  
“I'd really like to-”  
  
“Don't-”  
  
“-give you your gift now.”  
  
“You're not helping me here.”  
  
“Get a grip, Rance.”  
  
“Frankie, are you trying to drive me crazy?”  
  
Frankie squeezed Zach's sock clad foot. “Maybe.”  
  
They just stared at each other for a moment, both fighting smiles. Just them for a minute, and no world to recall around them. Frankie finally looked away. “Alright. Okay, we're adults, not a couple of teenagers. We can do this.” He cleared his throat. “Okay, then. Um, gifts, are they even up here?”  
  
“Yeah, I took it up earlier. The big box, right? What the hell's in it? I had to give Peyton twenty bucks just to help me get it up here.”  
  
“Sucker. Ari'd never get twenty bucks out of me.”  
  
Zach's mouth kicked up at the side. “Oh really? I seem to recall some interesting stories she told me...”

Frankie lifted his chin.“So, this is what you two talk about without me?”

Zach just smiled. “We talk about a lot of things.” He chewed his lip. “Do you want your gift first?"  
  
“No, you open yours first.”  
  
“The big box?”  
  
“Actually, most of what's in the big box is for your parents and Peyton. It's just fun stuff. Mostly. I know you don't really do Christmas, and we're just doing gifts for us, but I felt wrong not getting them _something_. They can just be like, 'Hey I'm Frankie, I like to buy people I love nice things,' gifts.”

Zach looked up at the ceiling in exasperation, with a shake of his head. “Frankie, we've talked about this.”

Frankie looked pained. “I know. I know. And I've stuck to the no more than fifty bucks thing for each other's gifts like we planned, I promise. I like that. But just-”

Zach sat up and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “You like buying things for me. And I guess, them, now. I know. I know it's just part of you caring for everyone. I know it is.” He looked into Frankie's eyes. “It's just really important to me that your money doesn't become this _thing_ , you know? Just like everything with Ari. I don't ever want it to seem to anyone like I'm with you because of, like, everything you have access to.”

Frankie shook his head quickly. “No, I know you're only with me for my body. Everyone knows that.”

Zach laughed. “Obviously. But just...you know what I mean.”

Frankie squeezed his hand. “I get it. And no-one thinks that anyway.”

“Of course they do.”

Frankie shook his head again. “No-one who matters. I know I'm lucky, and I just like sharing what I have with people in my life. And now you and your family are my people too.” He brushed a thumb across Zach's cheek. “You're my person.”

Zach leaned his face into his touch for a moment before taking a breath and looking back at him. “I know.”

Frankie smiled and dropped his hand. “Good. And you know Ari trusts you right? Hell, she gave you her number almost straightaway, before we were even dating. She doesn't do that for just anyone. She can spot a bullshitter, I promise you.”

Zach smiled at that “Yeah, I know it. Sorry. It just touches a nerve sometimes. I saw some guy on Twitter earlier pretending to be me, and his handle was at 'gay for pay'. Like, seriously.”

Frankie laughed. Then slapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry. Sorry, hun. But, like, that kinda insults me more than you, if you think about it. Like, yeah okay, I bought my boyfriend's dick. Couldn't get one on my own. Thanks for that. Hashtag 'bi for buy.'”

Zach snorted. “Bi now. Gay later.”

Frankie smirked. “Where's my Amex card?”

“I'm gonna reply to that guy and be like “I'm not gay, but if I were, you couldn't fucking afford me. Hashtag 'my boyfriend's a millionaire, suck it.'”

“He wishes.”

“I know, right?”

They collapsed back onto the bed laughing, glancing at one another every few seconds before dissolving back into giggles again. They both stared at the ceiling, taking steadying breaths. Zach reached out and linked his fingers with Frankie's when they'd both calmed down a bit. “You know you had my dick, and the rest of me, long before I even knew you had money, right?”

Frankie squeezed his fingers in response and turned his head to look at him as Zach shifted onto his side. “I know that, Rose.” He chewed on his bottom lip. “And sorry for being such a Pinecrest kid with the gifts and whatever. I'll try and rein it in a bit.”

Zach reached out with his free hand and drew his thumb across the soft abrasions Frankie was making with his teeth. “Just a little. I don't mind it so much, if you like doing it.” He grinned. “Oh my God, though. If my teenage self could see me now, lying on my bed making out with a Pinecrest kid. Ewww. I'd never have believed it. They would never.”

Frankie's mouth quirked. “We're not making out.”

Zach ran his hand over his hip and pulled him closer, brushing his lips over the corner of Frankie's mouth. “We are now.”

“Mmmm.” Frankie let his hands drift up into Zach's hair. “We still can't do this here.”

Zach laughed softly against his mouth, and began pressing soft kisses against his jaw. “So what's new? My hand's the only action this bed ever saw when I was a teenager. Not about to change now.”

Frankie paused and pulled back, his eyes questioning. “You never made out with anyone up here when you were in high school?”

Zach drew back as well and squeezed Frankie's hip softly, smiling again. “Have you met my mother? Jewish sons count themselves lucky if they're allowed to make out with nice Jewish girls on the couch downstairs. Consider yourself privileged she let you up here.”

“So noted. Did you?”

“Sometimes. Babysitting was the best though. Have fun with kid. Put kid to bed. Make out with whoever on whatever couch. Get paid.”

Frankie grinned. “And here I thought you couldn't be bought, Zachary.”

Zach smirked. “Not by Pinecrest kids anyway.”

Frankie massaged his fingers through Zach's hair lightly, bringing their mouths together again. “I'd have made out with you wherever. You could have named your price.”

Zach trailed his fingers up Frankie's back, just holding him close as their lips travelled. They held on, long minutes of just them, and they made out like the teenagers they no longer were, when it was just about the kissing, not the sex you were never gonna get to have.

*

When they'd finally settled themselves on the floor in the middle of the room about half an hour later, it was with slightly pinker lips, and in Zach's case a little bit of stubble rash. 

Frankie flipped the lid of the plain cardboard box that they'd dragged over to sit beside them and pulled out a small package wrapped in brown paper and string. He beamed at Zach as he handed him the gift. “So okay. Here you go. Open.” He gestured with a hand. “Open!” He tapped his fingers on his knee as Zach fiddled with the string.

"Alright, geez. Wonder what we have here..." He trailed off as he rustled through the layers of tissue paper, eyes widening when they caught on the ZR lettering embossed in soft, brown leather. He smiled even as he spoke again. “Frankie, this is too much.”

Frankie fiddled with a piece of the discarded string. “I promise I got it at a vintage craft market, and they do the lettering for free. I just wanted to-just look inside, please.”

Zach ran a finger over the slim pencil cleverly built into the front (edged in red leather against the brown), then undid the old fashioned clasp and flipped the cover, leafing through the first couple of pages. There in (what else) hot pink ink, was Frankie's handwriting.

 _Anything you do. Let it come from you. Then it will be new.-Sondheim._  
  
On the opposite page he'd taped a polaroid picture. It had to have been taken a few months ago at least. Probably at one of the many parties at Frankie's apartment, before they were even officially together. He seemed to recall Jarvis bouncing around one night taking pictures of anything that moved, and then complaining that he'd run out of photo paper. The photo wasn't even one of them together. They were in the same shot, but the focus was on Zach himself. His face was clearly animated, probably telling some story, and Lauren, A.J, and some others, all seemed to be laughing at something he'd said. Off to the right of shot, barely in frame, was Frankie. He wasn't laughing, but he was smiling. It was like everything he wasn't letting himself say was in that one smile. It almost hurt to look at it. Zach stared at it, brushing his fingers over Frankie's face in the picture. “This is...how come I've never seen this?”

Frankie shrugged, tugging at the string laced through his fingers. “Maybe because I hid it, and any other incriminating evidence, when I was doing clean-up the morning after. It's like, obvious much? I know I was saying shit all the time, but we both did that and, well yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway. I just wanted to let you know that I know this past eighteen months or so has been full of changes for you, on every level, and just, well I just wanted to remind that you can be whoever you want to be. And that someone sees you, whatever your possibilities are. I'll always see you. You can fill all those blank spaces with whatever you want.”

Zach covered Frankie's hand with his own, tangling his own fingers with the string as he tugged him toward him. He pressed a kiss to his forehead, his other hand playing through his hair as he pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you.” The two words didn't seem nearly enough, but they were all he felt like he could say right now when they still had dinner with his family to get through. His lips grazed Frankie's temple, “Fuck, though.” Frankie paused with the small brushes of his thumbs he was making along Zach's spine and pulled back with a frown. "What?"  
  
Zach shook his head as he let go. "You've just got me this lovely thing, again I might add, and just...my gift seems kind of dumbass in comparison. Like, not enough."  
  
Frankie shook his own head in response, a smile forming. “It's from you, Zach. It's enough.”  
  
Zach sighed and stood up, rummaging in the closet a few feet away. “It's not, like, a big thing.”

Frankie laughed softly. “I'll be the judge of that.” He held out his hands. “Gimme.”  
  
“Close your eyes.”  
  
“Oh, so it _is_ going to be that kind of gift Zachary. I se-"  
  
“Just close your eyes, okay?  
  
"Okay, they're closed."  
  
“I didn't wrap this because it would've been kinda obvious.” He sat again and then placed the gift into Frankie's hands. “Okay, open.”  
  
Frankie looked down and peered at the gift, before looking back up at him. “It's...an umbrella?”  
  
“Oh God. I told you it was stupid. I'll take it back, like, I can get something el-”  
  
Frankie clutched it to him like it was his long lost child. “No. Mine.”  
  
Zach tried again. “Okay. So um, I, like, saw this, and I know it's a cliché, but it reminded me of you.”

Frankie looked down at the sky blue umbrella and flicked the catch. It was very pretty, if somewhat plain, with what appeared to be white clouds and raindrops scattered across the canopy. Frankie tilted his head. “I remind you of rain?”

Zach shook his head as he reached for the umbrella. “No, see...” He stopped. “You're not superstitious or anything, right?”

“Not about umbrellas, no.”

Zach frowned. “My Mom is a bit but, anyway, look.” He opened it about halfway. Frankie peered inside. The rainbows formed between the clouds seemed to magically take on color, the sun a bright yellow, when looked at from this angle. Frankie clapped his hands together. “Oh! It's like magic. That's awesome.”

Zach smiled. “But that's not all. So like, the color's on the inside all the time, but not everyone outside can see it. But like, when it actually rains, the color shines through to the outside as well. It's like, when life rains on you, or people try it, it shines brighter. Just like you.”

Frankie stared at the umbrella as Zach closed it again, his face breaking into a smile. “Oh my God, Zach. I love it! I love _you_.” He knelt up and peppered Zach's face with kisses, nearly toppling both of them over in his enthusiasm, the pair of them laughing as Zach caught him in his arms. “Woah, okay. It's just an umbrella.”

Frankie nuzzled their noses together. “It's a magical, gay umbrella. I wanna see how it works. I need something to get it wet with or-” He broke off and paused as Zach shook with laughter against him. Smirked himself too. “Filthy, boy.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Hmm, I wonder if that actually works...” He winked. “Another time. But right now, oh wait.” He scrambled over to his bag which currently sat at the bottom of the bed. “I have wet wipes.”  
  
Zach pulled one out of the pack that Frankie held out and began rubbing it along the shaft of the umbrella. It was Frankie's turn to laugh. Zach just shook his head. “I didn't buy this as some sexual kink thing, you know.”

“But it helps.” Frankie quipped.

Zach laughed. “Like we need help in that area.”

Frankie just raised an eyebrow and grinned, before looking back at the umbrella which was now covered in rainbows and multi-colored raindrops. “Oh my God. It's amazing. Look how pretty. I wanna take it out. We need a selfie. We need rain. Or to stand under a shower. And make rain. This is the best umbrella anyone's ever given me.”

Zach laughed. “Have many people given you umbrellas?”

“No. But this is still the best one.”

Zach smiled as he gathered up the brown paper for the trash, smoothing his thumb over his new journal as he sat it on the bedside table. He held a hand out to Frankie to pull him up. “I guess we should wash up for dinner. We've been up here over an hour.”

Frankie gripped his wrist and moved himself into a standing position fluidly. “Do you think they'll believe we didn't have sex?”

“Probably not.”

Frankie laughed. “It's just like being back in the house. People thinking we did, when we didn't. Quite. I'll just have to be all 'Hands may have wandered, Mrs Rance, but that's all. I promise.'”

“Oh God, don't. I still can't deal with the idea that my Mom watched the live feeds. Or my Dad come to that.”

“I've come to terms with Ari liveblogging our relationship back then. But yeah. It's kinda weird. Like, they knew before we did.”

Zach stroked a thumb across Frankie's wrist, his voice soft. “I think we knew.”

Frankie just smiled and Zach followed him from the room, carting the cardboard box with a smile of his own.

*

 _Two weeks later._  
  
“How's L.A. this side of New Year?”

“Still warm. Still full of famous people. How's New York?”

“Still cold. Still full of me.”

“I wish I was.”  
  
“Soon, baby. You'll be home soon.”

“I know. Can't wait. How's Tiger?”

“I think he has a chill. He's been shivering a bit. But he's okay, I think. I've got him wrapped in a blanket." Frankie flipped the phone so Zach could see the dog. "Maybe he just misses the Florida Sun.”

“Maybe he's allergic to glitter.”

“Can I help if he likes licking me?”

Their laughter mingled across the phone lines. Zach tapped his pen against his journal as his eyes flicked to the clock, counting down the minutes left of his break at the station. He looked back at the latest set of words scrawled in pink ink.

_Just do you (and sometimes me)._

Zach smiled and quickly drew a heart next to the words, and then a penis, because his inner five year old couldn't quite resist the urge. “So, what you doing?”  
  
Frankie pulled the phone back for a wide shot. “Sitting on the balcony with my umbrella. It's not raining but I put it up anyway.”  
  
“I got your note.”

“Yeah?”  
  
"More than sometimes.”

“I'll keep you to that.”

“Just keep me.”

“Alright, Casper.”

They both cracked up laughing simultaneously, closing the miles between them. Frankie paused, looking up at the sky above him. “Zach?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“It just started to rain.”

Then it's all laughter mixed with love. There are playful words, and soft talk of days missed, and time spent, all hope, in days of them yet to come.

*

 

**Author's Note:**

> [Zach's Journal](http://www.alittlepresent.co.uk/viewproduct.php?ref=lo145&catname=Classic%20Journals) (minus the name lettering which you'll just have to imagine in yourself) ;)
> 
> [Frankie's Umbrella](http://www.belleenfants.co.uk/shop/products/sass-belle-rainbow-and-colour-magic-umbrella/) (just picture a slightly larger adult version lol)
> 
> If you like you know what to do x
> 
> To those who have left comments and kudos thank you muchly, it really helps let me know that it's being enjoyed, and if I'm on the mark. Thank you to all those who have just taken the time to read as well, even if it's not your kind of thing, it's all much appreciated. 
> 
> tumblr: andyouknowitis


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